


The Faller

by orphan_account



Category: Pocket Monsters: Sun & Moon | Pokemon Sun & Moon Versions
Genre: Angst, Eventual Relationships, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, I just really like Nanu OK, M/M, Masturbation, Mild Language, Mutual Pining, Nanu is actually a really sweet guy, Pining, Pokemon Sun & Moon, Rated Explicit for later chapters, Romance, Spoilery if you haven't finished the game, Trans Character, Trans Male Character, Ultra Beasts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-06
Updated: 2017-10-22
Packaged: 2018-09-06 22:36:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 9,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8772088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The people who came through the wormholes are called Fallers. Nanu knew this all too well. And when he comes across one of them during a morning stroll, lying in the grass completely soaked from the rain, he vows to protect him, refusing to see what happened all those years ago happen to this boy. But when he starts to fall in love with him, he realizes that he may be in for more than he had bargained for.





	1. He Wanted Change, and He Got It

It was Wednesday. Well, he wasn't quite sure when he first woke up, but a quick glance at the digital clock that sat beside his bed confirmed that it was indeed Wednesday. Nanu begrudgingly sat up on the side of his bed, stretching his aching spine as his body began to finally wake up. 

He made some of the cheap instant coffee he had bought from the nearest megamart and settled down in front of the television to watch the news and catch up on recent events in the Alola region.

He zoned out a bit as he stared at a commercial for malasada, beginning to think about how he got here. Being the Kahuna of Ula'ula island was a pretty sweet gig, at least, that's how it seemed to other people. In actuality, Nanu was beginning to grow rather bored with his position. Doing practically nothing, day in and day out, occasionally taking on challengers that would either be defeated or would blast through his team with ease.

He was thankful to have his beloved Pokemon there to keep him company, but without any humans to keep him company regularly, he was beginning to feel more alone than he ever had. Sure, his niece would visit him from time to time, visits he greatly enjoyed despite his constantly gloomy demeanor, but Acerola was off doing her own things, and he didn't want to bother her with his problems.

He decided that maybe a change might do him good. That morning he decided to go for a walk around the outskirts of Po town. It wasn't the prettiest place, and there was a constant blanket of rain falling from the gray sky, but he was feeling restless, and needed to do something with himself besides mope around the police station all day doing nothing.

He deployed his umbrella, his best friend and trusted partner Persian by his side, and set off to admire some of the not-so-scenic scenery. Most of the Skulls were off doing their own thing nowadays, after that Sun kid became champion of Alola, they had more or less ceased their questionable activities. It was nice not having to deal with them, but it also made the place a lot quieter than it used to be, possibly part of the reason for his sudden personal crisis.

Nanu hadn't noticed at first when Persian had taken off from her place beside him, but as he turned his head, he saw her running off into some tall grass. He was a bit concerned. This wasn't her normal behavior, by any means. She always stayed by his side unless told otherwise. So for her to run off like this... He knew something was wrong. 

He followed behind his beloved Persian, her pace having slowed to a cautionary stalk, before she stopped all together. When Nanu approached her, he saw what she had been after. Nestled in between the tall grass was a person. As the kahuna got closer, he could make out the mop of wet, blood red hair atop their head. Persian nuzzled at their hand, turning back toward her trainer in concern. He dropped to his knees beside the person. They seemed to be male, and young, probably somewhere in their mid twenties. Nanu checked for a pulse against the guy's neck. It was there, and other than feeling a bit cold he seemed fairly healthy.

Nanu examined the guy, trying to see if he could find any sort of identification. He didn't have an Island Challenge amulet, and his wallet held nothing but a fairly large stack of Pokedollars. He wore a black t shirt with a purple vest over it, and a pair of worn jeans. The guy had two Pokeballs clipped to his belt, and one held tightly between his hands. Nanu decided that it would be best not to leave this guy in the rain, and scooped him up into his arms, carrying him back to the police station with Persian hot on his heels.

\----

He had patted the kid dry as well as he could with towels, although he couldn't do this well with the wet and muddy clothes still on him. Nanu considered taking his clothes off, but decided against it because he didn't want to make things weird between them when the kid woke up. He laid the kid in his bed, and put three or four blankets on top of him. He would have to change the sheets later on account of his messy clothes, but he didn't care about that right now. 

Nanu wondered what he should do with this guy. Should he call someone? He didn't know who to call really, he was the only police officer in the area... He considered taking the kid to doctor, but he seemed extremely healthy for having been passed out in the rain. He decided to wait until he woke up, and then decide what to do with him. He put his kettle on the stove to make some hot water, and sat down on his couch, trying to find something to do with himself until his guest woke up.

\----

A haze of grogginess hung over him when he opened his eyes. He was in a place he hadn't been before... What happened? He sat up, glancing around the room in an attempt to gain his bearings. It appeared to be a bedroom, albeit a bit small. He looked down, there were multiple blankets layered over him, and it made him feel hot despite his wet clothing. Wait, why was he wet? It hadn't been raining where he was before...

He leapt out of bed. That's when he realized... He only had two Pokeballs on him. A bolt of fear ripped through him and he began searching the room frantically, hoping by some miracle his partner Pokemon was somewhere in the room.

He didn't realize how much sound he had been making, until he heard footsteps approaching him. He must have alerted whoever this place belonged to. The curtain was pulled back, and a middle ages man with grey hair and red eyes stepped through. "You're awake. Good." the man said with a disinterested tone. He gasped at the man, unsure of what to say. "M-my Pokeball..." was all he thought of to say. A look of realization appeared on the man's face, and he bent down to go through a drawer in the nightstand next to the bed, and brought out a familiar Pokeball. He snatched it up, thanking the man profusely for returning it to him. "You don't have to thank me, its my job." he said, a slight amused grin pulling at his lips. "Come on, I'll make you some tea and you can tell me why you were passed out in the rain."

\----

"Let's start with your name." Nanu said, stirring some sugar into his tea. The red haired man looked up from his own cup. "Its Artemis. And you?" the older man nodded. "I'm Nanu. Kahuna Nanu." Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Kahuna? What's a Kahuna?" Nanu placed his cup onto the table before him. "I take it you're not from around here?" he asked. The red head, still confused, inquired futher. "Not from around... Where? Am I... Not in Eterna city?" it was the older man"s turn to be shocked. "Eterna city... As in the Eterna city in the Sinnoh region!?" Artemis nodded. "So... Where am I exactly?" he went to take another sip of his tea.

"You're in Po town... In the Alola region." Artemis nearly choked on his tea. "What!? How is that possible!?" Nanu shrugged. "I'm just as confused as you are, kid. Can you remember anything from before you passed out?" the red head nodded. "Let's see... I was walking through the city last night, I had just finished my gym battle and I was looking for a place to stay the night. Suddenly, there was this... It looked like a hole appeared in the air, right in front of me!" Nanu's stomach dropped. He knew exactly where this was going. He let Artemis continue. "I could see this place inside of it, with these weird things running around. I'm not sure why, but I felt like I had to get closer... I put my hand through it, and there was a bright flash of light, and then... I woke up here..." 

The red head noticed how pale the man had turned. "Hey... Are you alright?" Nanu nodded. "I'm fine. Listen, I gotta go make a call, stay here, I'll be right back." Artemis nodded, and the man hurried off to the other room, punching the number he knew by heart into the dialpad. "Who is this?" came a gruff voice on the other end of the line. "Looker, its Nanu." he said, closing his eyes and preparing himself for what he was about to say. "I need you to come by the station... I... I found another one."


	2. A Gardevoir's Instinct

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis explains the events of the previous night to his partners. One of his Pokemon has a bad feeling about what might happen to her master.

"Here. Put these on." Nanu said, handing a stack of clothing to his guest. Artemis looked at him in confusion. "Your clothes are completely wet. I got you some dry ones." 

"Oh, right." the redhead replied, a little embarrassed over his dimness. Nanu pointed him in the direction of the bathroom, and he hurried off to change. When the younger emerged, Nanu's jaw nearly dropped. The shirt he had given the young trainer was a little tight on him, showing off the outline of his well-toned body.

"Is something wrong?" Nanu hadn't realized he had been staring, until the younger had said something.

"Nothing. Just haven't seen that shirt in a while... It looks good on you." Nanu turned around, praying that the younger wouldn't notice the red that painted his cheeks. "Listen, kid, I have someone coming by tomorrow morning to speak to you. He can help you out."

"OK. Do you think he can help me get back home?" Artemis asked hopefully. Nanu cringed. He didn't want to tell him the truth, that he'd never see home again... He decided it would be best to leave the explanation to Looker.

"I think he might be able to do that." the Kahuna lied. "Anyway, make yourself at home. You can take my bed for tonight."

Artemis shook his head. "That's very kind of you to offer, but I couldn't do that. I'd feel bad if you had to sleep on the couch in your own home..."

Nanu sighed. "Alright then. You can take the couch. But considering its only about noon right now, I'll make us some food.

"That sounds good, thank you!" Artemis said, flashing the man a sweet smile. Nanu nodded, his heart melting in his chest at how adorable this guy was. 

"Oh, by the way, feel free to let your Pokemon out. As long as they don't cause trouble, that is." the Kahuna said as he turned to go prepare their meal.

Artemis unclipped his Pokeballs from his belt, just now realizing that his Pokemon had no idea what had been happening. "Alright you guys, you can come out!" he exclaimed, tossing the three balls into the air.

Light poured from the balls, collecting onto the floor and forming his three beloved Pokemon. Abby, his Absol and first Pokemon, yipped in delight in seeing her master, nearly leaping into his arms and sending him tumbling backwards. "Its good to see you too, girl." Artemis giggled, giving the Absol a pat on the head.

His other two Pokemon, Vanity the Gardevoir and Lucky the Lopunny, were glad to see him as well, but stayed composed and didn't jump onto him as Abby had. "And you two, its good to see all of you." Artemis said, wrapping his arms around the two anthropomorphic Pokemon. They were confused as to why their trainer was acting like this. After all, he had just seen them the day before! But they gladly returned the hug, as they wanted to make their trainer feel better.

"I suppose I should explain what's been happening." Artemis said as he let go of the two Pokemon. "Gar?" Vanity questioned, her relaxed and sing-songy voice laced with a hint of confusion. Lucky tilted his head to the side, looking at his trainer with concern. Artemis sat on the couch, the two Pokemon on either side of him while Abby reclined on his lap.

The trainer explained the events of the previous night to his partners, who listened intently the whole time. 

"And then I woke up here. A man named Nanu found me lying unconscious outside, and brought me back to his place. That's where we are now." the three Pokemon nodded understandingly. Vanity shivered, clearly knowing something about what had happened. 'Makes sense, she is a psychic type after all...' Artemis thought. He chose not to ask her about it, as he didn't want to make her upset.

Nanu came back shortly after, his Persian trailing behind him. "Lunch is ready whenever. I hope you and your Pokemon-" he glanced at the three Pokemon sitting around the red-headed trainer. "...like ramen."

"What Pokemon is that?" Artemis asked, noticing the cat Pokemon beside the man.

"This is Persian." Nanu said, reaching down to scratch behind her ear. "Although, she probably isn't like the Persian you've seen before. Here in the Alola region, some Pokemon have changed to adapt to their environment. Meowth and Persian are one of them."

"Oh, I see," Artemis said, transfixed on the Pokemon. "That's rather fascinating." he let the cat Pokemon sniff his hand, and she permitted him to pet her head just as Nanu had done.

\------

As Artemis slept soundly on the couch, Abby curled up on the floor next to him, one of the two Pokeballs that rested on the coffee table opened, the familiar light emerging and forming the familiar silhouette of a Gardevoir. 

Vanity gazed at her master, thankful that the sound of her Pokeball opening hadn't woken him or Abby up. She sat in a chair adjacent to the couch, watching. Watching for what? Well, she wasn't entirely sure. All she knew was that her master was in danger. 

She could feel it. Something strange and terrible had happened that night that her master had encountered the light in the sky. She had to protect him. And so she watched him the entire night, refusing to leave his side until the first rays of sunlight came spilling in through the crack in the curtains, and the man known as Nanu awoke to begin his daily routine.

Vanity liked that man. She knew her master would be safe with him. He held much sorrow within him, from what, however, the psychic Pokemon had no clue. But deep down, he was a kind and caring soul. She knew this for certain. And she hoped that her master would save him as much as he would save her master.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter took so long!
> 
> There's not a whole lot of plot in this chapter but there will be in the next, I swear.


	3. Looker

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis meets Looker, and finally learns the truth about how he came to be in the Alola region. Nanu and Looker have a serious discussion about what should happen to the young trainer.

When Artemis awoke, he couldn't help but notice a strange pressure on his chest that hadn't been there the night before. Slowly opening his eyes, he was greeted with the round, curious eyes of some sort of cat Pokemon.

He cried out in surprise, nearly falling off of the couch and causing the sleeping Absol beside him to yelp and rise from her position on the floor. The Meowth seemed to smile at him, jumping from his chest and onto the floor. It ran off toward the small kitchen area, where Nanu stood preparing that day's first pot of coffee. 

"Sorry about that. My Meowths love new people. This one seems to have taken a liking to you." the older man said, watching the cat Pokemon nibble at the contents of its freshly filled food bowl.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Artemis replied, sitting up from his sleeping position and stretching. "My parents are breeders, so I had a lot of that going on while I was growing up." 

Nanu nodded at the young trainer, contemplating on whether or not he should ask about Artemis's parents. 

"You want some coffee?" the Kahuna asked, deciding that it probably wasn't any of his business. 

Artemis perked up, smiling as he stood up onto the cold wooden floor. 

"Coffee sounds wonderful."

\----

It was around 11 that morning when there was a knock at the door of the old police station. Nanu excused himself, making his way over to the door.

When he placed his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated a moment. All of this kid's hope of ever returning home was about to come crashing down. He considered turning Looker away, telling him that he'd made a mistake and that Artemis was not one of them after all. 

But he knew better. The young man was in danger, and the Kahuna refused to see him get hurt, or worse... Making up his mind, he twisted the knob, opening the creaky door and revealing the man in a trenchcoat behind it.

\----

"Artemis?" 

The young trainer looked up at the sound of his name, abandoning the magazine he had been flipping through at the coffee table. 

Nanu stood before him with a man he hadn't seen before. He was tall, with dark features on his hardened face, and wore a trenchcoat with a pair of plain slacks. Everything about this man simply screamed "secret agent".

"This is Looker," Nanu said as Artemis examined the taller man. "He's a member of the International Police. I called him here because he can help you." 

The redhead stood up, regarding the man by extending his hand expectantly. Looker accepted the gesture, shaking the younger man's hand firmly. 

Nanu retrieved three chairs from some back room, placing them around the coffee table so that the three men could talk face to face.

"Artemis," Looker began, one hand resting absentmindedly on the handle of his coffee cup. "You're probably very confused as to what happened to you, and why you're here." The redhead nodded, eagerly awaiting the answers to his predicament, his beloved Abby sitting loyally by his side. 

"Well, that's what I've come here for." the tall man took a sip of the hot liquid, and cleared his throat.

"You see... Sometimes these rifts open up in our universe, for one reason or another. They are called wormholes. They are pathways connecting one universe to another. That's what happened to you. A wormhole opened up in your universe, and dropped you here."

Artemis stared at the man in disbelief. "Wormholes...? My... universe?" the realization began to dawn on him. He was farther from home than he ever could of imagined. 

"The people who come through the wormholes are what we call "Fallers". They are imbued with a certain amount of rift energy after coming from one universe to another."

Nanu looked at Artemis. The redhead's expression was one of fear. True fear. And he knew what he was scared of without even having to ask. It was the next question that passed through the younger man's lips, the one he had been dreading. 

"How do I get home?" 

Looker's expression became even more solemn, if that was even possible. And with his next words, Artemis's world came crashing down.

"I'm sorry. There's no way to get you home."

The young trainer looked like he was about to cry. But he held a straight face, though his expression betrayed some of the pain he felt inside.

It made Nanu want to snatch him up and hold him tight. He wanted to comfort Artemis. But he didn't. Instead he settled for placing a hand on the younger's shoulder, a gesture that seemed to be appreciated as he leaned slightly into the older man's touch.

Swallowing hard, Artemis asked Looker if there was anything else he needed to know.

There was.

"You see..." Looker began, shifting his gaze toward Nanu, who nodded for him to continue. "Sometimes... When a wormhole opens up, humans aren't the only things that come through..."

"The Ultra Beasts..." Nanu explained.

Artemis looked at the man, puzzled. "Ultra Beasts? Are they like Pokemon?"

Looker shook his head. "No, not exactly. They are incredibly powerful unidentified beings that come from a different universe. Remember that rift energy I told you about?" Artemis nodded.

"They are attracted to that. They can sense it, and they think that it'll take them back home. And you, Artemis, are surrounded with it. Making you a prime target for any Ultra Beasts that happened to pass through a wormhole."

"That shouldn't be a problem for me," Artemis explained. "My Pokemon are very strong. I trust them to protect me." he patted Abby on the head, causing her to purr slightly.

"I'm sure your partners are very strong indeed," Looker said. "But these Ultra Beasts are like nothing you've ever faced before. That's why I want to take you back to the-"

"He can stay with me." Nanu said, cutting off the taller man. 

Looker stared at his old colleage in disbelief. "Nanu, may I have a word with you in the other room?" he asked.

Nanu nodded, giving Artemis a reassuring pat on the shoulder before following the man to the other room.

\----

"Are you out of your mind!?" Looker asked when they were alone. "You can't possibly be considering keeping him here. He shouldn't be around the general population, people could get hurt!"

Nanu frowned. "You're acting as if he's a UB himself." he retorted. "Its not his fault he came through, he shouldn't be punished for it."

"I'm not!" Looker insisted. "He'll be safer at the International Police headquarters. We can keep an eye on him, and-"

"And use him as bait for UBs like every other Faller the bureau's come across!?" Nanu snapped, beginning to lose his temper. "Remember what happened to Anabel? That poor girl was never the same after what they did to her!"

It was true. After the incident in Alola that was handled in part by the champion, Anabel had collapsed on the way back to their headquarters. Afterwards, she became paranoid, convinced that the UBs were after her every second of every day. She had to be committed to a mental institution when the counselors could not help her.

Looker became silent at the mention of his former partner. "We were engaged... We were going to get married that summer..." the IP officer reminisced. "I visit her every day that I possibly can."

"I don't want that to happen to this kid." Nanu pleaded. He knew he was getting through to his former colleage. "Please..."

Looker gave the man a small smile. "You always did have a thing for younger guys..." he joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Its not like that." Nanu insisted, but smiled anyway. 

Looker sighed. "I won't file a report about him. I won't let anyone in the IP know. But you'll have to handle any UB sightings, and make sure the word doesn't get out."

Nanu nodded. "I promise. I know you're putting your ass on the line for me." 

"Just know that if I get fired because of this, I'm going to destroy you." Looker turned to leave, but was stopped by Nanu's hand on his shoulder. 

"Thank you. From the bottom of my heart, I am truly greatful for this."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for the late chapter. I was busy with the holidays and family stuff.


	4. Stay

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis receives the Beast Balls. Later that night, he finally breaks down and spills his thoughts to Nanu.

"You're going to need these." Looker said, handing a large black box to Artemis. He opened the box, revealing hundreds of... some sort of Pokeball? They were blue, with a grid pattern on them. Artemis had never seen anything like them before.

"They're Beast Balls," Nanu explained. "Normal Pokeballs have trouble capturing UBs, so we use these special balls." Artemis nodded, understanding what he was meant to do. He was a magnet for these so-called Ultra Beasts. That meant that he could be putting people in danger simply by existing here. And so he needed to defeat and contain these creatures if they came along.

Looker took his leave soon after, bidding the two men farewell, and good luck to Artemis. 

"Can I ask you something?" Artemis said after the International Police Officer had left. 

"What's up?" Nanu inquired as he filled one of the water bowls he kept for his Meowth. 

"Why did you want me to stay with you? I know Looker wanted to take me back with him."

Nanu froze. He... honestly didn't know how to answer the younger man's question. He had told himself that it was because if he went with the IP, they would put him in danger. But now, he wasn't entirely sure that was the only reason.

Artemis made him feel strange. Had he been any other person, he probably would have let them go, thankful that he wouldn't have to deal with them anymore. But this man was different. He made him feel like he needed to protect him, no matter the cost. Just like he felt the day he joined the Alola police force. 

"They would use you to draw in UBs," Nanu explained, finally deciding on an answer. "They would use you as bait until you collapsed or lost your mind." 'Or both.' he noted to himself.

"I see..." Artemis said, seemingly satisfied with the Kahuna's answer. 

That evening, Nanu brought home takeout from a local resturaunt, as well as a big bag of malasadas. He figured this kid deserved a treat. After all, he had just found out that he would never see his home again... Nanu couldn't imagine what that must be like. 

\----

Nanu awoke at what must have been the early hours of the morning, before the sun had even began to rise. Through the haze of drowsiness, he heard a noise, probably what had been responsible for him waking up.

Crying. It was a series of soft whimpers occasionally accompanied by sniffling. It sounded like whoever was crying was trying their best to be quiet. Then, the Kahuna realized; there was only one other person in the building with him.

He leapt out of bed, walking briskly back into the living room where the crying was coming from. When he got there, Artemis was curled up with his knees up to his chin, shaking as he cried. Nanu nearly dived onto the spot on the couch next to him, placing his hands on the young trainer's shoulders.

Artemis looked up at him in surprise, his eyes red and puffy from the tears. 

"I'm sorry, I didn't want to wake you..." the redhead said, hanging his head in regret. Nanu shook his head, scooping the younger man into his arms.

"Artemis, what's wrong?" he asked, though he already knew the answer. 

The younger let out a choked sob. "I... I'm never going to see my home again... My family, my friends... I'll have disappeared without a trace. They'll never know what happened to me." the tears started again, and Artemis buried his face into the fabric on the Kahuna's shoulder.

Nanu let him cry. It was all he could do. He rubbed his back in a soothing manner, offering words of comfort as the young trainer finally released the pain he had been keeping bottles inside of him since the day he arrived in Alola.

Eventually, Artemis's sobs died down, and Nanu laid him against the pillow so that he could finally sleep. When he tried to return to his own bed, a hand lightly tugged on the sleeve of his pajama shirt.

"Please... Stay..." the younger man whimpered.

Nanu wasn't sure why, but he crawled onto the couch next to Artemis, his arms wrapped proactively around the younger. 

His back was going to hurt like hell in the morning. But he didn't seem to mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support on this story! I am truly grateful for all the positivity I have received.
> 
> This is a somewhat short chapter, but it has some pretty cute but somewhat sad stuff in it. 
> 
> Next chapter, something big is going to happen! I hope you'll all keep reading as I write these!


	5. UB-01 Symbiont (Nihilego)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis and Nanu confront an Ultra Beast. 
> 
> Later that night, Artemis makes a realization that might change his relationship with Nanu.

*Three Weeks Later*

Nanu watched as Artemis played with the Meowths currently hanging all over him, the red head feeding them biscuits and scratching them behind the ears.

The Kahuna couldn't help but smile. The young trainer had such a way with Pokemon. In the time he had been staying in the police station, he had befriended all of Nanu's Pokemon. Even his Honchkrow, who didn't like anyone but Nanu.

"Nanu? Hey Nanu!" the Kahuna snapped out of his trance-like state. Realizing he had been staring at Artemis, he blushed deeply and looked away. That's when he realized his phone was ringing.

\---

"I see... Well, I'll look into it right away. Thank you, goodbye." Nanu placed the phone back onto its receiver, before turning back towards Artemis.

"Artemis..." the Kahuna called. The trainer looked up, a questioning look on his face.

"A UB has been sighted near the Secluded Shore."

Artemis felt him blood run cold. It was happening. It was really happening...

\---

Artemis stood on the beach, looking out into the rolling waves on the deep blue water. A few Slowpoke lazed around in the surf. The trainer smiled. His mom had a Slowpoke when he was younger. By the time he was a teen, it had grown into a Slowbro. It was one of his best friends growing up.

Artemis frowned. He missed his family so much...

"The police have evacuated the area as per my request." Nanu said, jarring the younger man from his thoughts. 

"How do we find the UB?" Artemis asked. Nanu shook his head.

"We'll just have to wait here until its drawn in by your rift energy." the Kahuna stated.

And then it happened.

It wasn't there, and then it WAS.

In a flash of light, a strange jellyfish-like creature appeared, bringing with it a powerful wave of energy that nearly knocked the two trainers off their feet.

The UB roared, despite having no mouth. Nanu pulled Artemis back, narrowly avoiding a hit from one of the creature's tentacles.

"Its UB-01. Its proper name is Nihilego." Nanu explained. Artemis nodded, bringing out one of his Pokeballs.

"Leave this to us."

Artemis tossed the ball into the air, the liquid-like light pouring onto the sand and materializing into the redhead's trusted partner, Abby.

"Alright. Abby, use Swords Dance!" the Absol"s horn lit up, and she moved her head to and fro. Nihilego reared what Artemis assumed to be its head, and a purple blob expelled from somewhere. The blob hit Abby, causing her a slight amount of damage, but she shook it off quickly.

"I believe in you Abby! Use Night Slash!" the Absol's claws began to glow a dark purple, and she leapt at Nihilego. After the Swords Dance, the attack caused massive damage to the Ultra Beast. But it wasn't ready to give up yet.

Nihilego seemed to materialize these glittering stones from somewhere, and hurled the rocks at Abby. This attack from the UB knocked the dark type Pokemon back.

Abby laid in the sand, trying desperately to get up. But Artemis knew she was too weak to keep going. 

"You did a good job girl. Thank you." and with that, the trainer recalled the Absol into her Pokeball.

Artemis selected another Pokeball from his belt, tossing it up and releasing Vanity the Gardevoir.

Seemingly already knowing what was happening, Vanity looked back at Artemis, nodding in reassurance. 

"Use Psychic!" 

Vanity's eyes began to glow, causing a light to appear surrounding Nihilego. The greater roared, seemingly in pain.

When the attack was over, the Ultra Beast collapsed, unable to fight any longer. 

"This is your chance! Throw a Beast Ball!" Nanu called from behind the redhead. 

Artemis produced the strange Pokeball from his pocket, not hesitating to toss it at the creature. 

It shook once, twice, three times... And clicked! Nihilego had been captured! 

Artemis recalled Vanity to her Pokeball, before falling to his knees. Nanu rushed over to the younger man.

"Are you alright?" he questioned, concerned for the well-being of his friend.

"I'm fine." Artemis said with a sigh. "Just exhausted."

\----

That night, they both went out for dinner. Nanu took them to a nice sushi restaurant he knew of, and they both had a large meal to celebrate Artemis successfully capturing Nihilego. 

They talked, and joked and laughed, and for the first time since he had arrived in the Alola region, Artemis saw Nanu smile a genuine smile. It made his heart flutter, and his cheeks grew hot.

He hadn't really noticed it until now, but Nanu was... Really handsome...

But he was way too tired to think about that stuff at the moment. For right now, he just wanted to relax, eat, and and have fun with his friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Been busy with holidays and family and shit but I hope to update more often from now on.


	6. Taming the Beast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis has a very vivid dream about him and Nanu, causing him to question their relationship.
> 
> That morning, Artemis reveals to Nanu that he plans on trying to tame Nihilego, causing Nanu to be afraid for his safety.
> 
> That night, Nanu has to come to terms with his emotions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Smut warning!!
> 
> There is somewhat graphic masturbation at the end of this chapter. If you don't want to read it, just skip to the last line of the chapter.

He couldn't remember the events that led up to him lying on his back on the couch, the weight of the older man on top of him.

All he could think about was their lips moving together so perfectly, like two dancers who had known each other all their lives.

When the lips moved to his neck, he could do nothing but pant and writhe in bliss as the man's mouth left marks that would not disappear for days.

He felt hands dive beneath the fabric of his shirt, exploring every inch of his soft skin and slight muscle that had come with years of travelling with his Pokemon.

He felt the burning desire throb between his thighs as he became aware of something hard pressed against his stomach.

"Nanu..."

\---

Artemis's eyes flew open, still caught in the echoes of the vivid dream he had been in only moments before. He stared at the ceiling, trying to analyze his dream. It had felt so real... The feeling of Nanu's lips seemed to linger on his.

Artemis sat up, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. This was not good. He had realized that Nanu was rather handsome a few nights ago, but he had no idea he was actually developing feelings for the man! Nanu had taken him in when he had nowhere else to go... They were good friends. It would be wrong to ruin their relationship with romantic feelings.

Not to mention the fact that Nanu was a good bit older than him. He hadn't actually asked his age, but if he had to guess he was around 40. Nearly 20 years older than him!

Despite all of these facts, however, Artemis couldn't help the feeling of yearning in his heart. He wanted to feel Nanu touch him like that for real... But there wasn't much he could do about it. He would just have to go on with his everyday life and hope he hadn't said something in his sleep that would give away his feelings for the older man.

\----

"So I was thinking..."

Nanu swallowed the bite of pancake in his mouth, urging Artemis to continue. He raised the glass of juice to his mouth, absentmindedly letting the liquid spill into his mouth.

"Today, I want to try and tame Nihilego."

Nanu nearly spat the juice all over the table. 

"Are you crazy!?" 

Artemis shrugged. "I caught it, so it wouldn't be fair to just leave it in its ball forever. It deserves to go outside and be free, just like any other Pokemon."

Nanu clenched his fist. "But it ISN'T a Pokemon! Ultra Beasts are nothing like the Pokemon in this world!" the Kahuna argued.

Artemis shook his head. "I have to try, though." His mind was made up, and Nanu knew he couldn't do anything to stop him.

\----

Nanu stood on the doorstep of the police station, watching as Artemis prepared to do what he considered impossible.

"Nihilego, come out!" Artemis called, tossing the ball into the air. The light that came from it looked different than regular Pokeballs, the trainer noted, but despite the difference it still worked the same. 

Nihilego appeared before him. Somehow, it seemed less intimidating that when he had first met the Ultra Beast. Perhaps back then, it was scared to be in a place so vastly different than its home. It seemed calmer now.

"Hi there." Artemis said softly, unsure of what else to say. Nihilego made a strange, quiet warbling noise, tilting what Artemis assumed was it's head to the side.

"My name is Artemis. I know you're a long way from home, and you're probably scared," 'Just like me...' the trainer thought to himself. "so I want to help you, if you'll let me. Maybe..." the red head began slowly extending his arm out to the creature. "We could be friends?" 

Nanu wanted to shout for Artemis to get away from the creature, not to touch it. But he knew that the sudden noise might frighten it and cause it to attack the younger man. So he could only watch, and hope for the best.

Nihilego seemed to stare at the trainer's hand for a moment, before slowly reaching out one of its tendrils, just as Artemis had done, and gently pressed it against the trainer's hand.

Artemis smiled. Perhaps these Ultra Beasts weren't as monstrous as every one thought.

\----

Nanu eyed Nihilego wearily as it picked up Pokemon food with its tentacles and placed them into... whatever served as its mouth. Artemis and his other Pokemon sat with it, all happily munching on their dinners.

"...does it really have to eat with us?" Nanu asked, furrowing his brow. He was getting slightly grossed out by the strange squelching noises the UB produced as it ate.

Artemis looked up from his food, glaring at the Kahuna. "'It' has a name, you know." Nanu raised his eyebrow.

"It's name is Squishy."

The UB warbled happily at the mention of it's name, while Nanu tried his best bot to burst out laughing. An Ultra Beast, one of the most powerful creatures in existence...

Had been named Squishy.

Artemis was truly adorable. And in that moment, the feelings that Nanu already harbored for the man grew just a little more. 

The Kahuna cracked a small grin. 

"Welcome to the family, Squishy."

\----

Nanu laid in his bed that night, listening to the soft snores coming from the living room where Artemis slept soundly. He couldn't stop thinking about the younger man...

His smile, how kind he was, how funny he was, how beautiful his eyes were...

He started out thinking about the innocent things. But his thoughts soon turned in a different direction. 

The way the man's body looked in that tight shirt Nanu had given him on his first day here... The slightest hint of a six pack on his slender but frame... 

He hadn't realized he was hard, and that he was already running himself through his sweatpants. 

He thought about exploring every inch of that muscle, tracing them with his fingertips ever so gently, occasionally pausing to play with the hardening nipples in the center of his pecs.

He thought about slowly dipping his hand beneath the waistband of Artemis's pants, gliding beneath his boxers, and finally reaching the heat in between his legs. He would pleasure him, every way he knew how, until the last articles of clothing finally came off of the younger man.

Nanu had taken his dick out of his pants by now, jerking himself off desperately as he bit his lip to keep his moans from escaping.

Being inside of Artemis would be like heaven itself, his walls warm and soft like pure silk. He would throb around Nanu as the older man moved inside him, the noises the younger would produce like music to his ears. 

Nanu stroked his balls as he moved his hand over his painfully swollen member, his cheeks hot and red from arousal.

Nanu would make sure that Artemis would finish first, and the feeling of the red head's orgasm around him would push him over the edge as well. Nanu would grip his hand tight as they shared in the bliss of their orgasms. It would feel like they had truly become one with each other.

Nanu came hard, his essence spilling all over his hand and part of the blanket. He wiped his hand on the sheet, knowing that he would have to replace them tomorrow anyway, and tucked himself back into his pants.

He had fallen for Artemis hard.

And sooner or later, he wouldn't be able to hold his feelings in any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't really planning on adding the smut scene this chapter, but I realized after writing the part about dinner with Nihilego that it was kind of short. A lot of angst in this chapter to be sure!


	7. Danger in Malie City

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> While Nanu is away, Artemis decides to take a trip to Malie City. 
> 
> That evening, panic ensues when an Ultra Beast appears in the city, leaving Artemis to handle it by himself.

Nanu had enjoyed the lack of challengers and other duties over the past few weeks, but it had to come to an end eventually. The four Kahunas of Alola were called to a meeting together, and Nanu had no choice but to attend.

He was a little worried about leaving Artemis alone for the first time since he'd arrived, but the kid was smart. Deep down, Nanu knew he would be just fine. Even so, he couldn't stop himself from worrying about the younger man.

"There's plenty of food that's easy to make in the fridge. Don't pick up the phone, let it go to voicemail. Make sure the Meowths have food and water and-"

"Nanu, I'm a grown man! I'll be ok!" Artemis said, exasperated.

The Kahuna sighed. "I know... Anyway, I'll be back later tonight. See you then." and with that, the older man left, leaving Artemis to his own devices.

\----

Artemis released his Pokemon from their Pokeballs so that they could roam around the police station and keep him company. They watched tv together, and did a few random things around the building.

A few hours in, however, Artemis was beginning to get bored with staying in the small police station. Suddenly, he got an idea. He could explore Ula'Ula island!

He had only been out a few times since he had been in the Alola region (mostly due to being depressed about never seeing his family again), so he figured it was time to do something other than be a shut in.

He dug through his bag for a few moments before finding what he had been looking for. Nanu had given him a ride pager a while back, in case he decided he wanted to go out and explore.

Artemis gathered up his wallet, changed out if his pajamas, left a note for Nanu, and went out the door, his four Pokemon following behind him.

\----

He remembered Malie city as where the sushi place that Nanu took him to was. He had been too tired to see any more of it that night, thought.

The style of the place reminded him a lot of the Johto region. He smiled as he remembered the summer vacations that he would spend there with his family. It was so beautiful, just like this place...

Artemis teared up at the memory. Quickly wiping away the tears, he walked off toward a nearby clothing store. This was supposed to be a fun little trip, and he wasn't going to let his homesickness ruin that.

\----

Artemis explored the various things that Malie city had to offer, stopping at the occasional food vendors and buying a few trinkets here and there. He even got a little Meowth statue that he thought Nanu might like.

His thoughts shifted back to Nanu, causing his heart to throb in his chest. 

He was going absolutely crazy over the man! 

Glancing up at the sky, he noticed the beautiful sunset, a mixture of oranges and pinks in the evening sky. He smiled, pushing the thoughts of the Kahuna from his mind.

\----

Artemis sat on a bench in the Malie Gardens, eating an ice cream cone while watching the sunset. His Pokemon sat next to him (except for Squishy, he was worried people might freak out if they saw it!), all eating their own special ice cream for Pokemon.

Abby nudged Artemis's hand, a gesture he knew meant she wanted attention. He scratched being her ear, causing her to purr happily.

Smiling, Artemis thought back to when he had first met Abby.

\----

*flashback*

"Sally!" a blond boy called, running over to his red-headed friend. The Pichu on his shoulder hung on for dear life as he ran.

The redhead glared at the blond. "That's not my name, Volkner." 

"Right, sorry Artemis!" Volkner apologized, a look of sincerity on his face. "Not quite used to your new name yet."

Artemis nodded in understanding. "So, why did you call me here?" the boy asked.

Volkner grinned, taking out a piece of paper he had in his pocket. Artemis leaned over, peering at the paper in his friend's hand. The Pichu climbed into the blond's head, wanting to read the paper as well. 

Artemis looked at Volkner, a quizzical look on his face. "What is it?"

"Its a map! My grandpa gave it to me, he said that it led to the den of a legendary Pokemon!" Volkner explained eagerly.

The red head raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure its real? You know your grandpa likes to joke around with you..."

The blond nodded. "Yes! He promised he was really telling the truth this time! Imagine if we managed to catch that legendary Pokemon, we would become the strongest trainers in Sinnoh!"

Artemis thought about it for a moment. He could be right. If they managed to catch a legendary Pokemon, they could surpass even the champion of Sinnoh herself! 

Artemis smiled. It was worth a try.

\----

"Are you sure this is the place?" Artemis asked, glancing nervously around the mountain.

"Of course I am!" Volkner assured. He led Artemis up the mountain, over foliage and rocks jutting from the earth, until they reached a cavern at the very top.

"This is it!" Volkner said excitedly.

"So where is-" Artemis was interrupted by a rumble from within the den. The boys' eyes widened, from fear and excitement.

With booming footsteps, the Pokemon emerged, roaring over being disturbed in its home. It was a Garchomp! 

The boys leapt out of the way as the Garchomp charged them with incredible speed, narrowly avoiding being run over by it.

Volkner stood up, his Pichu leaping onto the ground in front of him.

"Pichu, use Thundershock!" the mouse pokemon's cheeks crackled with electricity, before launching a bolt at the dragon. 

Garchomp was hit with the attack, but was completely unfazed by it.

Horrified, Artemis suddenly remembered something his dad had told him once.

"Garchomp is a ground type! Electric attacks don't effect it!" the redhead called to his friend. 

Volkner fled to where his friend was. The two boys held on to each other tightly, certain that they were going to be killed by the dragon Pokemon.

Suddenly, they heard a cry from somewhere nearby. They opened their eyes to see a strange Pokemon with white fur and a long black horn on its head.

"W-What is that?" Volkner whimpered, sounding like he was on the verge of tears.

Artemis's jaw dropped as he stared at the Pokemon in awe. 

"It's an Absol! They're mythical Pokemon with the ability to forsee disasters!"

The Absol turned to the boys, grunting and giving a slight nod of its head, as if to confirm the boy's statement.

The Garchomp roared suddenly, regaining the attention of all three. It charged at the Absol, it's claws glowing as it readied it's attack.

Absol leapt above the Garchomp's head, landing just behind the agitated dragon Pokemon. 

Absol's claws began to glow, and it slashed at the dragon, hitting it in the back. Garchomp roared and attempted to hit the dark type Pokemon with it's tail. It missed, and Absol hit it with another attack, causing the dragon to be thrown back against the nearby rocks.

The Garchomp leapt to its feet, screeching in fear, and quickly retreated back into it's den.

The two boys, sensing that it was safe now, came out from the rocks they had been hiding behind.

"Absol, you saved us!" Volkner declared, throwing his arms around the Pokemon. Absol allowed him to. Artemis smiled at the Pokemon.

"Thank you, Absol."

\----

After that, Abby had followed Artemis home (much to the displeasure of his parents). She stayed in their barn for about a week, before his parents gave in and allowed her into the house. On his 10th birthday, his parents gifted him with a Pokeball, and allowed him to finally embark on a journey. The dark type officially became his Pokemon, and she officially received the name Abby.

Abby had been at his side ever since.

\----

Artemis was shaken from his reminiscence by the sound of screaming. He stood up, looking frantically for the source of the sound. He ran back into the city, where he found people running away from something.

"What happened!?" he asked a nearby police officer attempting to pacify the crowd. "Some weird Pokemon appeared outta nowhere and started attacking people!" he said.

Artemis knew it was an Ultra Beast. 

Should he get Nanu? Would he have time to contact him before the UB did anyone serious harm?

He decided right then and there. 

He would have to take care of it himself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two updates in two days!? How unprecedented!
> 
> I decided since I've been pretty slack with updating lately, I'd go ahead and add two chapters back to back, so y'all have something to read.
> 
>  
> 
> Also, if anyone didn't know, Volkner is the 8th gym leader in the Sinnoh region. I've always loved him, so I decided to add him as Artemis's childhood friend!


	8. UB-02 Beauty (Pheromosa)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis faces off against Pheromosa. After the battle, he is confronted by Nanu, and the romantic tension between them comes to a head.

Beautiful. That was the first word that came to mind when he saw the Ultra Beast. It resembled an insect, with long antennae and thin limbs ending in two claws, and what was either a veil or a set of wings hanging from its head.

It reminded Artemis of a woman in a wedding gown.

Despite the beast's beauty, he retrieved a Pokeball from the clip on his belt.

"Vanity, I need your help!" 

On her trainer's command, the Gardevoir emerged from her Pokeball, landing gracefully on her feet.

She glared at the Ultra Beast as she waited for Artemis's command.

"Vanity, use Psychic!"

But before the Gardevoir could move, the UB lunged at her, it's speed unlike anything Artemis had ever seen before. 

The creature crashed into Vanity, causing her to fall to the ground. But she got up, determined not to let this Ultra Beast get the best of her.

When he was sure Vanity was alright to keep going, the trainer gave her next command.

"Use Future Sight!" 

The UB laughed, thinking that the psychic Pokemon's attack had done nothing. It lunged for Vanity once again, but she predicted the beast's movements and managed to move to the side.

Knowing that this was her chance, Vanity predicted her trainer's command, hitting the beast with a Moonblast. 

The UB sustained heavy damage from the fairy type attack, but still managed to stand up on wobbly legs.

It prepared to attack once again, but suddenly it was hit with a strange force seemingly out of nowhere.

The Future Sight had taken effect.

The Ultra Beast fell to the ground, and Vanity nodded at Artemis. He knew what to do next.

The trainer threw a Beast Ball at the creature, and it went in, and remained there without a fight.

Artemis picked up the Beast Ball that now contained the UB.

"Artemis!" a familiar voice called from behind the trainer.

He turned around, and spotted Nanu running toward him.

"Hey! You'll never believe what just-"

"Do you have any idea what could have happened!?" the Kahuna yelled, stopping Artemis dead in his tracks.

"What do you-" 

"You shouldn't have taken the Ultra Beast on alone! You could've gotten hurt, or-" Nanu had to stop for a moment and take a deep breath to calm himself down. "You should have called me. I would have come and made sure that-"

Now it was Artemis's turn to interrupt. 

"I didn't have time for that! If I didn't do something right then, the Ultra Beast could have done a hell of a lot more damage! It was in the middle of a crowded street!" this was the first time that Nanu had heard the red head raise his voice.

The Kahuna went silent. He knew Artemis was right. He knew he did the right thing. But thinking about what could have happened to the younger man... It made him want to cry.

"...Nanu!?"

The older man came back to reality, realizing that something wet was dripping from his eyes. He did cry after all.

"I just..." Nanu said quietly, trying not to sound like he was crying.

"I don't know what I'd do if you got hurt..."

A pang of guilt yanked at Artemis's heart. He hadn't known his actions would make Nanu upset like this, but he felt bad about it all the same.

"I didn't know you cared about me so much..." Artemis admitted. He had been struggling to discern what he felt for the older man for a while, but now he knew.

The two trainers embraced in the middle of the empty street.

They walked off together, back to the gardens, their fingers intertwined with each other. 

They had a lot to talk about that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> After this chapter, I'm gonna focus more on some domestic stuff and furthering Artemis and Nanu's relationship for a few chapters. And then we'll get back into more action.


	9. Kitchen Makeout Sessions and Startling Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis realizes that he had forgotten to disclose one detail about himself to Nanu, and he fears that this mistake may cost him their relationship.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is kind of filler-y with a minor plot point mixed in. I wanted to do a little bit of filler so that this story doesn't end too quickly (although I feel kind of bad, not updating for a month and then having the next chapter be filler!). And once again, my apologies for slow updates.

Nanu's couch was surprisingly comfortable, especially considering it's age. Or, maybe it just seemed comfortable, but in actuality the comfort Artemis felt was because he was in Nanu's arms, lying on the couch and watching TV. 

When their relationship began, Nanu had been extremely weary of making the younger feel uncomfortable, and had resigned himself to moving slowly. But Artemis quickly put Nanu's worries to rest, insisting that he was completely fine with actions as tame as kissing and cuddling.

 

Artemis reclined in the older man's arms, humming happily. He felt safe and happier than he had been as of late.

Nanu, noting his lover shifting in his arms, broke the comfortable silence they had been sitting in for the last hour or so.

"You hungry? We could go out, or I could make something." he inquired, brushing the deep red locks out of Artemis's eyes.

"I'm a bit hungry, yeah. Let's just eat in tonight, I don't really feel like going out." the red head replied.

The Kahuna agreed, and Artemis removed himself from the man's lap, allowing him to start dinner. 

"Hey, do you think I could help?" the trainer asked suddenly, causing Nanu to stop and turn around to face his lover with a smile much gentler than the shit eating grin he usually wore when he found something amusing.

"Of course you can," the older replied, and Artemis followed him into the kitchen.

\----

It started with a sneaky peck on the lips while Nanu was chopping vegetables for the soup. This was followed by the Kahuna returning the gesture, except a little more intense this time.

Three minutes later, and the two trainers were in a heated make out session.

When Artemis felt Nanu's hand begin to slide up his shirt, he realized something.

Nanu didn't know he was trans.

Terrified of his lover finding out like this, Artemis panicked, pushing the older man off a little harder than he had intended and causing him to feel quite bad about it.

"Are you OK?" Nanu asked, genuine concern present in his voice.

Gulping, the red head nodded.

"Yeah, sorry. I was just... Worried about the soup boiling over."

Seemingly satisfied with the younger's answer, Nanu returned his attention to making dinner. Artemis's mind, however, was elsewhere.

He couldn't believe he had forgotten to tell Nanu that he was trans! Back in Sinnoh, everyone was so laid back about it that it really wasn't a big deal... But what did the people of Alola think? Would Nanu believe he had lied to him?

Anxiety bubbled within the young trainer's stomach. He knew that he was going to have to tell him... and soon.

He was terrified.


	10. Trust

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Artemis finally reveals his secret to Nanu.

'This is bad. This is so bad.' Artemis thought, pacing back and forth in the police station. Nanu had been called out to do his Kahuna duties, leaving the redhead home to his own devices.

Naturally, he used this time to have a huge internal freak out.

He knew from the start of their relationship, probably even their friendship, that he should have worked the fact that he was trans into a conversation with the Kahuna.

He supposed the reason for his forgetting could have been that back in the Sinnoh region, nobody really cared about sexuality or gender identity. It became such a small thing that he had stopped talking about it for the most part.

But the Alola region was a different place. Obviously, Nanu was ok with people being gay (given their quickly intensifying romantic relationship), but they had never had a conversation about trans people.

Artemis was scared. He was terrified of losing Nanu, but he knew he couldn't just hide it forever.

He needed to tell him. And soon.

\-----

"Welcome home!" Artemis regarded Nanu as he walked through the door of the station.

The older man smiled. "I'm so happy to see you," Nanu said, reaching down to pet the Meowth that had crowded around his legs. "Work today was exhausting." He collapsed on the couch next to the redhead, draping his arm over his tired eyes.

Artemis set his book down on the coffee table, laying his head on the Kahuna's shoulder. 

"Anything major happen?" he asked, the familiar scent of the older man calming Artemis immediately.

The Kahuna sighed.

"A wild Toucannon attacked a populated area today. As Kahuna, it was my job to take care of it." 

Artemis nodded. 

"So um... I was thinking..."

"What's up?" Nanu asked, removing his arm from his eyes to look at his partner.

"Maybe we could... Go out to dinner tonight?" the redhead suggested, twiddling his thumbs nervously.

Nanu smiled.

"Sounds great kid. Where did you have in mind?"

\----

As the two men were escorted to their table in the steakhouse, they received odd glances from the various patrons currently dining at the establishment. It made Artemis nervous. Sensing this, Nanu squeezed the redhead's hand tighter.

Thankfully, the Kahuna requested a table at the very back, obscuring them from any more prying eyes. 

And giving Artemis the privacy he needed to make his confession.

"You've been awfully quiet tonight." Nanu observed. 

Artemis set down the complimentary bread roll that he had been nibbling on. He sighed as he watched the waiter set their plates in front of them.

It was now or never.

"Nanu...?"

The Kahuna looked up, quickly swallowing the piece of steak that he had been chewing on.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, a look of genuine concern on his face.

Artemis nervously grasped at the napkin laid out on his lap.

"I need to tell you something." he sighed heavily, taking Nanu's hand in his. "I should have told you this a long time ago. I'm sorry if it seems like I hid this from you, it wasn't my intention, I just-" 

"Artie." 

The redhead blushed, immediately ceasing his ramblings at the mention of his nickname.

He took a deep breath.

"Nanu... I'm... I'm transgender..."

Nanu stared at the younger man in surprise, blinking a few times before cracking a gentle smile.

"Oh. Ok."

Artemis gaped at the man.

"O-Ok? Is that all you have to..."

Nanu chuckled, surprising the younger. 

"Artie." the Kahuna leaned in close, pecking Artemis on the lips. "I love you. I don't mind how you identify, or how your body is. I love you for you. All of you."

Artemis teared up. Nobody had ever said anything like that to him before...

He smiled. Everything was going to be ok as long as he had Nanu.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow wtf, I have not updated in like 7 months. I don't really have much of an excuse, but stuff has been happening and I guess life just got in the way. I'm back now, and hopefully I will complete and post the next chapter before too long.

**Author's Note:**

> I usually don't post my OC stories on here, but the Pokemon following on Wattpad isn't too big, so I just decided to post this here. 
> 
> Also, sorry for mistakes! I'm bad at typing on my phone


End file.
